Politics: Tim Hudak's Plan for Ontario if he becomes Premier

[CityPlaceN1]

Perhaps but what are the chances he gets elected...

 

[rbt]

He can if he makes DEEP cuts...

Yeah, balanced unfortunately is not the same as a sustainable budget; most cuts available harm long-term revenues We could balance the budget tomorrow by cancelling all capital maintenance. All-day kindergarden is another one of those things that should have a big payout in 20+ years when they enter the workforce.


One of the few things that can be cut without directly impacting revenue is health-care to the elderly. Cut-off anything but pain-killers as healthcare to people over 80 years in age. Might even have a substantial surplus.


Ontario has the lowest revenue per capita out of all the provinces and territories. The obvious answer is to adjust taxation up to be tied for the lowest position. If low taxes is the only key to economic development, Ontario should have a ridiculously low unemployment rate for North America.

 

[Solid Snake]

So you'd rather spend millions of dollars on operating and maintaining dozens of busses and building BRT lanes, so when they reach the point where BRT can no longer accommodate demand we'll shut down the thing for years to built the LRT?

Yes, you shut down the thing and run the buses on temporary dedicated lanes

This won't even save us money.

It's millions vs Billions. The billions can go to projects like DRL and Eglinton *doing it right the first time*

How about we just do it right the first time.

Just like for Eglinton East?

The demand for LRT is already there.

Yes but BRT can still do the job too in the mean time.

 

[MrsNesbitt]

Perhaps but what are the chances he gets elected...

Latest polls put the PCs out front with 38%. Let's hope that that gets turned around.

Yeah, balanced unfortunately is not the same as a sustainable budget; most cuts available harm long-term revenues We could balance the budget tomorrow by cancelling all capital maintenance. All-day kindergarden is another one of those things that should have a big payout in 20+ years when they enter the workforce.

One of the few things that can be cut without directly impacting revenue is health-care to the elderly. Cut-off anything but pain-killers as healthcare to people over 80 years in age. Might even have a substantial surplus.

Ontario has the lowest revenue per capita out of all the provinces and territories. The obvious answer is to adjust taxation up to be tied for the lowest position. If low taxes is the only key to economic development, Ontario should have a ridiculously low unemployment rate for North America.

To be honest though cuts not only harm long-term revenue - fitting into how the PCs are fundamentally simplistic short-term thinkers in their budget-slashing - but some of them can be very unpalatable, and rightly so.

Especially with our aging population, but really at any time, any party that tries your cutting healthcare to the elderly plan will face an immediate backlash (calls of "murderers") and will get no support from that high-voting group.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

As an aside - let's not forget the elderly tend to vote for PCs, though the segment might most in need of care isn't necessarily in the same category. Either way, I highly doubt that Hudak would want to torpedo that key group of supporters.

AoD

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Yeah, balanced unfortunately is not the same as a sustainable budget; most cuts available harm long-term revenues We could balance the budget tomorrow by cancelling all capital maintenance. All-day kindergarden is another one of those things that should have a big payout in 20+ years when they enter the workforce.


One of the few things that can be cut without directly impacting revenue is health-care to the elderly. Cut-off anything but pain-killers as healthcare to people over 80 years in age. Might even have a substantial surplus.


Ontario has the lowest revenue per capita out of all the provinces and territories. The obvious answer is to adjust taxation up to be tied for the lowest position. If low taxes is the only key to economic development, Ontario should have a ridiculously low unemployment rate for North America.

Latest polls put the PCs out front with 38%. Let's hope that that gets turned around.



To be honest though cuts not only harm long-term revenue - fitting into how the PCs are fundamentally simplistic short-term thinkers in their budget-slashing - but some of them can be very unpalatable, and rightly so.

Especially with our aging population, but really at any time, any party that tries your cutting healthcare to the elderly plan will face an immediate backlash (calls of "murderers") and will get no support from that high-voting group.

Exactly, it can be done, but it would be at the great cost. But you guys need to realize this: Most Ontarians are short sighted and greedy. They don't care about the old people or kids, they are have the scandals and budget deficit shoved in their face, and they want blood.

Yes, you shut down the thing and run the buses on temporary dedicated lanes


It's millions vs Billions. The billions can go to projects like DRL and Eglinton *doing it right the first time*


Just like for Eglinton East?


Yes but BRT can still do the job too in the mean time.

So, question: Eglinton Subway, Pearson to Kennedy, Sheppard Subway Weston to STC after the BD extension is built, do you support it?

 

[TOareaFan]

All-day kindergarden is another one of those things that should have a big payout in 20+ years when they enter the workforce.

The most recent couple of studies published agree that over time the value (in terms of improved academics/results) of all day Kindergarten wear off over time. The last two that I have seen disagree over whether it wears off by grade 2 or grade 3 but they agree it wears off.

 

[rbt]

The most recent couple of studies published agree that over time the value (in terms of improved academics/results) of all day Kindergarten wear off over time. The last two that I have seen disagree over whether it wears off by grade 2 or grade 3 but they agree it wears off.

That might be. I've only read the brief to one study which implied there was a lasting benefit but they may have assumed (looked at locations) where the remainder of the curriculum was advanced time wise by about 6 months.

I have to believe done well it would help. We may be making very poor use of that time.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

The most recent couple of studies published agree that over time the value (in terms of improved academics/results) of all day Kindergarten wear off over time. The last two that I have seen disagree over whether it wears off by grade 2 or grade 3 but they agree it wears off.

That might be. I've only read the brief to one study which implied there was a lasting benefit but they may have assumed (looked at locations) where the remainder of the curriculum was advanced time wise by about 6 months.

I have to believe done well it would help. We may be making very poor use of that time.

All Day Kindergarten is good for two things: It provides early stimulus to children, expanding their minds. And it puts the kids somewhere, allowing both parents (and especially women) to go back to work.

 

[TOareaFan]

All Day Kindergarten is good for two things: It provides early stimulus to children, expanding their minds. And it puts the kids somewhere, allowing both parents (and especially women) to go back to work.

Those benefits were available before.....all that All Day Kintergarten did/does is shift the burden from the few to the many and increaeses the overall cost by shifting it to the more expensive education system from the less expensive day care system. That cost seems to be around $1B a year.

In a province generating surpluses you might convince more people this is a noble venture than in a province with very large deficits.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

And when the budget isn't banced as promised in 2019...

No party will have a balanced budget in 2019.

He can if he makes DEEP cuts...

The budget won't be balanced by 2019. That also means that if the Cons win.... no new transit. That's unacceptable given that the lack of transit infrastructure is the single biggest issue plaguing the GTHA.

I don't know why these parties make promises they know they can't keep.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Yes, you shut down the thing and run the buses on temporary dedicated lanes

So reduce Finch West to two lanes of traffic and then remove one of those lanes for a temp BRT? Yea... that's not happening SS.

It's millions vs Billions. The billions can go to projects like DRL and Eglinton *doing it right the first time*

I'd agree with you if those project didn't have their own funding. This isn't an either or situation. We can do them all right the first time.

Yes but BRT can still do the job too in the mean time.

BRT *can* do the job, albeit much worse than LRT.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

The budget won't be balanced by 2019. That also means that if the Cons win.... no new transit. That's unacceptable given that the lack of transit infrastructure is the single biggest issue plaguing the GTHA.

I don't know why these parties make promises they know they can't keep.

If you know how government works, you know that all this deficit talk is a misnomer and all governments are capable of moving money.

 

[MrsNesbitt]

The Finch West LRT will run on a corridor with proven high transit demand and which passes through many low-income communities to whom higher-order transit would be a great boon. It would also extend the rapid transit network into the heart of one of the hardest-to-reach areas by TTC right now, that being northern Etobicoke, which contains many of the aforementioned low-income communities. The demand for LRT is there and frankly FWLRT should be higher on the priorities list than it is now.

Don't waste time and money on a BRT there, do it right the first time and get the LRT done.

And don't believe the inane lies that Hudak will get any substantial transit built. He's a PC, so he'll put it all off until "the budget is balanced" and the GTHA will continue to suffer economic losses from congestion.

 

[kEiThZ]

Don't trust the Tories on transit. After all, tax cuts are their first priority. Not transit.

OTOH, I love the idea of having a TfL style agency for the GTA. Before, yet another squabble or debate on a line, I'd like to see such an agency stood up. I think this is the real transit/transport priority for the region: an empowered, properly funded, and politically supported regional tansport authority.